Bkk Post-Denied the right to say go

[tinkyi@xxxxxxx]

Subject: Bkk Post-Denied the right to say goodbye

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Commentary

Denied the right to say goodbye
Thongbai Thongpao


Several years ago, when my office was still located in front of the Bang =
Yi Khan police station, Thonburi, an Englishman brought his two young =
sons to meet me. He introduced himself as Michael Aris, the husband of =
Burmese politician Aung San Suu Kyi.

I was delighted to meet him and said I'd always supported and felt =
concern for his wife, who has long been detained by the Burmese =
government. I felt sorry to see the military junta rob the victory and =
sovereignty of the Burmese people who had elected her party to rule the =
country.

Although I have never met Mr Aris again, I continue to keep close track =
of political developments in Burma and news about Suu Kyi. I have since =
joined Burma's movement for democracy and once celebrated Suu Kyi's =
birthday by addressing a meeting of Burmese, Thai and other =
nationalities at a Christian club in Rajathevi.

For several years, the iron lady has been detained and tormented both =
mentally and physically by the military junta who have tried to force =
her to give up her struggle. But Suu Kyi is relentless. Her mere =
existence is a thorn in the side of Burma's dictatorial government. She =
still enjoys overwhelming and unyielding support from the Burmese.

People in most parts of the world, including Europe, the United States, =
Australia and New Zealand, also stand by her in the name of human =
rights, righteousness and morality. I am firmly convinced that Heaven =
and God are also on her side.

A news report that Mr Aris, in the final stage of a terminal disease, =
sought to take his sons to meet their mother but was denied a visas =
moved me deeply. I am sorry to hear that an old friend is encountering =
such a cruel fate, despite the fact that all his life he has served =
society and humanity as a university lecturer. He has always been loyal =
to his wife and his family.

It was reported that Mr Aris is suffering from prostate cancer which has =
spread to his spine and lungs. He is currently undergoing medical =
treatment in Britain, and has not been granted a visa to visit Burma =
since Christmas 1995.

Rangoon reportedly insists it is Aung San Suu Kyi who should make the =
journey. But the opposition leader, who is locked in a bitter political =
struggle with Burma's military rulers, fears she would be barred from =
returning to the country after her visit.

Mr Aris has made several visits to Myanmar since his wife, the daughter =
of independence hero Aung San, returned to her home country in 1988 and =
emerged as the head of the pro-democracy movement. He was last in the =
country between December 18, 1995 and January 16, 1996.

That the Burmese junta denied him and their sons visas came as no =
surprise as dictators have no heart. They don't have a clue what it =
means to be humane, let alone the importance of family ties, the love =
between a husband and a wife, and between a mother and her sons. Fear =
clouds the clarity of their minds, though they have already controlled =
every single state mechanism as well as the press and the media through =
brute force. In spite of their seemingly boundless power, they regard a =
terminally sick man, two teenagers and a fragile woman as a threat. This =
is incredible and suggests the Burmese military junta is not, in fact, =
all that strong.

It is pathetic and shameful that Asean leaders turn a blind eye to what =
is happening right under their noses. They ignore the inhumane acts =
carried out be Burmese rulers. Asean once refused to endorse human =
rights. Today, it would deny humanity as well. It is a sin for them who =
claim to hold religions dear at heart.

For the sake of humanity than, let's push for a reunion between a =
father, a mother and their sons so that they may have one last chance to =
say goodbye to one another. Let's not allow politics and personal =
interests to prevail and deprive them of this most basic of human =
rights.


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<DIV><FONT size=3D1><FONT size=3D+2><B>Commentary</B></FONT><BR>
<H1><!-- HEADLINE -->
<H1 align=3Dleft><FONT size=3D5>Denied the right to say =
goodbye</FONT></H1></H1>
<P><FONT color=3D#000000><!--BYLINE--><B><FONT size=3D3>Thongbai=20
Thongpao</FONT></B><BR>
<P><FONT size=3D+2><B>S</B></FONT>everal years ago, when my office was =
still=20
located in front of the Bang Yi Khan police station, Thonburi, an =
Englishman=20
brought his two young sons to meet me. He introduced himself as Michael =
Aris,=20
the husband of Burmese politician Aung San Suu Kyi.</P>
<P>I was delighted to meet him and said I'd always supported and felt =
concern=20
for his wife, who has long been detained by the Burmese government. I =
felt sorry=20
to see the military junta rob the victory and sovereignty of the Burmese =
people=20
who had elected her party to rule the country.</P>
<P>Although I have never met Mr Aris again, I continue to keep close =
track of=20
political developments in Burma and news about Suu Kyi. I have since =
joined=20
Burma's movement for democracy and once celebrated Suu Kyi's birthday by =

addressing a meeting of Burmese, Thai and other nationalities at a =
Christian=20
club in Rajathevi.</P>
<P>For several years, the iron lady has been detained and tormented both =

mentally and physically by the military junta who have tried to force =
her to=20
give up her struggle. But Suu Kyi is relentless. Her mere existence is a =
thorn=20
in the side of Burma's dictatorial government. She still enjoys =
overwhelming and=20
unyielding support from the Burmese.</P>
<P>People in most parts of the world, including Europe, the United =
States,=20
Australia and New Zealand, also stand by her in the name of human =
rights,=20
righteousness and morality. I am firmly convinced that Heaven and God =
are also=20
on her side.</P>
<P>A news report that Mr Aris, in the final stage of a terminal disease, =
sought=20
to take his sons to meet their mother but was denied a visas moved me =
deeply. I=20
am sorry to hear that an old friend is encountering such a cruel fate, =
despite=20
the fact that all his life he has served society and humanity as a =
university=20
lecturer. He has always been loyal to his wife and his family.</P>
<P>It was reported that Mr Aris is suffering from prostate cancer which =
has=20
spread to his spine and lungs. He is currently undergoing medical =
treatment in=20
Britain, and has not been granted a visa to visit Burma since Christmas=20
1995.</P>
<P>Rangoon reportedly insists it is Aung San Suu Kyi who should make the =

journey. But the opposition leader, who is locked in a bitter political =
struggle=20
with Burma's military rulers, fears she would be barred from returning =
to the=20
country after her visit.</P>
<P>Mr Aris has made several visits to Myanmar since his wife, the =
daughter of=20
independence hero Aung San, returned to her home country in 1988 and =
emerged as=20
the head of the pro-democracy movement. He was last in the country =
between=20
December 18, 1995 and January 16, 1996.</P>
<P>That the Burmese junta denied him and their sons visas came as no =
surprise as=20
dictators have no heart. They don't have a clue what it means to be =
humane, let=20
alone the importance of family ties, the love between a husband and a =
wife, and=20
between a mother and her sons. Fear clouds the clarity of their minds, =
though=20
they have already controlled every single state mechanism as well as the =
press=20
and the media through brute force. In spite of their seemingly boundless =
power,=20
they regard a terminally sick man, two teenagers and a fragile woman as =
a=20
threat. This is incredible and suggests the Burmese military junta is =
not, in=20
fact, all that strong.</P>
<P>It is pathetic and shameful that Asean leaders turn a blind eye to =
what is=20
happening right under their noses. They ignore the inhumane acts carried =
out be=20
Burmese rulers. Asean once refused to endorse human rights. Today, it =
would deny=20
humanity as well. It is a sin for them who claim to hold religions dear =
at=20
heart.</P>
<P>For the sake of humanity than, let's push for a reunion between a =
father, a=20
mother and their sons so that they may have one last chance to say =
goodbye to=20
one another. Let's not allow politics and personal interests to prevail =
and=20
deprive them of this most basic of human=20
rights.</P></FONT><!--COPYEND--></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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